Production of encapsulated powders



June 3, 1969 T. R. EVANS ET Al- PRODUCTION OI" ENCAPSULATED POWDERS Filed Feb. 5, 1966 United States Patent O U.s. cl. 117-100 11 Claims ABSTRACT OF DISCLOSURE Solid powders having a melting point T1 are encapsulated with a coating of a normally solid coating material having a melting point T2, where T2 T1, by (a) fluidizing the solid powder in the stream of a carrier gas to form a uidized bed of the solid powder in the carrier gas, (b) liquifying the coating material by heating it to a temperature greater than T2 and then introducing a predetermined amount of the liquilied coating material in theuidized bed under turbulent mixing conditions so that the coating material forms an aerosol within the carrier gas and thereby encapsulates subtsantially all of the solid powder which is suspended in the uidized bed with a predetermined amount of the coating material,

(c) passing the resultant uidized bed through a cooling zone to cool the encapsulated powder to a temperature below T2, thereby substantially solidifying the encapsulating coating material, and (d) recovering the encapsultaed powder. This technique is particularly useful for solid propellants and for various powder metallurgical applications.

This invention relates to the production of coated powders and, more particularly, to a process for the encapsulation of both metallic and non-metallic solid powders ywithin any noramlly solid, lower metling coating material. The invention provides an improved process for the production of encapsulated powders which are particularly useful for solid propellants `and for various powder metallurgical applications.

Vapor deposition of a metal onto a substrate provides the only practical technique for the encapsulation (or coating) of solid powders with a sheath of metal, the technique being based on rapidly condensing a metal vapor around individual particles of powder. In general, two such methods are utilized commercially, the rst being based on passing the powder through a vacuum chamber Vinto which metal vapor had previously been introduced, while the second method is based on pyrolytically decomposing a metal salt to vaporize the metal in the presence of the powder being coated. Both methodsrequire the vaporization of metal and, consequently, inherently utilize relatively large amounts of heat to coat or encapsulate relatively small quantities of powder.

. Using tluid bed technology, in which solid powders are Patented June 3, 1969 ICe lluidized bed of the solid powder in the carrier gas, (b) liquifying the coating material by heating it to a temperature greater than T2 and then introducing a predetermined amount of the liquied coating material in the uidized bed under turbulent mixing conditions so that the coating material forms an aerosol within the carrier gas and thereby encapsulates substantially all of the solid powder with a predetermined amount of the coating material, (c) passing the resultant 'uidized bed through a cooling zone to cool the encapsulated powder to a temperature below T2, thereby substantially solidifying the encapsulating coating material, and (d) recovering the encapsulated powder. The process of the invention isparticularly suitable for the encapsulation of a wide variety of metallic and non-metallic solid powders with virtually any normally solid coating material (including both metals and non-metals) having a lower melting point than the particular solid powder being encapsulated.

The invention may be more readily comprehended by reference to the accompanying drawing, the single figure of which represents a schematic generalized ow sheet v of the process of the invention which is applicable tothe encapsulation of any metallic or der.

Referring to the generalized flow sheet, the carrier gas (including make-up carrier gas which is stored in a gas storage tank 1) is metered through a valve system 2 into a dust filter 3 from which the relatively dustless carrier gas is propelled by a compressor 4 through a heater 5 where the carrier gas is preheated to a temperature below that of T1 (the melting point of the solid powder to be encapsulated) but above that of T2 (the melting point fof the coated material which is to be applied to the solid powder) before being introduced through a Venturi throat 6 into a horizontally-mounted uid bed reactor 7.

Solid metallic or non-metallic powder having a melting point T1, which is stored for convenience in a bin l8, is dropped from its storage bin through a quick-acting, electrically-operated valve 9 at a predetermined rate into the tiuid bed reactor 7 where the solid powder is uidized in the preheated carrier gas. Downstream of the point at which the solid powder becomes uidized is an insulated, electrically-heated tank 10 in which the particular coating material to be used (which coating material is characterized by a melting point T2, where T2 is less than T1) is melted or liquiied at a temperature Igreater than T2 non-metallic solid pow.

y and maintained in this moltenror liquilied state.

The molten or liquified (the yterms being used interchangeably) coating material is metered through a second quickacting, velectrically-operated valve 11' and fintrodce`d`at a predetermined rate into the fluid bed'reactbi i v7 at a point at which-the reactor is constricted to a uidized in a carrier gas, we have found that by fluidizing a solid powder having a melting point T1 in a carrier gas it is possible under certain conditions to form in situ an aerosol of a normally solid coating material having a melting point T2 (where T is less than T1) within the Y uidized bed and thereby encapsulate substantially all of second Venturi throat 12, `thereby.introducingrhe molten or liquitled coating material into the uidized bed under turbulent mixing conditions so' that Vthe coatingfmate'rial forms an aerosol within theecarrier gas andencapsulateus' substantially all of the solid powder with aV predetermined amount of coating material. i

After encapsulation of the solid powder particles in the tluidized bed with the coating material, the resultant tiuidized bed isV passed through a cooling zone 13 where the encapsulated powder in the fluidized bed` is'cooledlffto a temperature below T2, thereby substantially solidifying the encapsulating coating material. From ,thecoolingzone 1,3, `the u'idized bedris passed through a cyclone 14 in which theV encapsulated powder is separated from ythe carrier gas Which is recycled through'a system 15 for a temperature less than T1 but greater than T2) to form a Although the foregoing generalized'descript'ion'ff rthe reuse in the process. The encapsulated powder'is recovered from the cyclone 14 and'collected'in aistor'aige bin 16 from which it is sent to packaging.

process of the invention shows the use of recirculation of the carrier gas (which is important when helium or other expensive gases are employed), the process may also be operated 'without recirculation of the carrier gas.

Selection of a suitable carrier gas for use in the encapsulation process of the invention may be made from any gas, including air, carbon dioxide, helium, argon, nitrogen, hydrogen, cracked ammonia (which is a mixture of nitrogen and hydrogen), depending upon whether oxidizing, reducing, neutral or inert conditions are required.

Nor is there any limitation on the type of solid powders which may be encapsulated or the type of normally solid coating material which may be applied, the sole criteria being that the melting point (T1) of the particular solid powder be greater than the melting point (T2) of the encapsulating coating material. Among the solid powders which have been encapsulated by the process of the invention are aluminum, copper, iron, and nickel, as well as a large number of non-metallic solid powders. Encapsulating material used successfully incude tin, zinc, aluminum, magnesium, and various normally solid lubricants (such as wax). Table I summarized the various solid powders which have been encapsulated by various coating materials in accordance iwth the process of the invention.

TABLE I Coating material: Solid powders Sn Al, Cu, Fe, non-metallics. Zn Do Al Fe, Ni, Cu, non-metallics. Mg lDo Wax Al, Cu, Fe, Ni, non-metallics.

Using the process of the invention, we have been able to encapsulate solid metal powders with predetermined amounts from 0.1 to 50 percent by weight of a particular coating material per pass, at rates varying from 0.1 to several hundred pounds per minute. As used herein, the term solid metal powders includes both the pure metal as well as any of its various alloys.

The following examples are illustrative of the ease with which solid powders may be encapsulated with lower-melting coating materials in accordance with the process of the invention. In each of these examples, a particular metal powder was encapsulated in a coating material using the technique previously described.

Example I Iron powder was coated with tin in three separate runs, using air as a carrier` gas. The reaction conditions are summarized below in the following table:

ENCAPSULATION OF IRON POWDER WITH TIN i Copper powder was coated iwth zinc in three separate runs, using air as the carrier gas. The following table summarizes the reaction conditions employed.

l l ENCAPSULATION OF COPPER POWDER WITH ZINC Example Conditions 2-A 2-B 2-C Air temperature 11).'. 815 S15 81's Temp. molten zinc F. 800 800 800 Cyclone gas temp. F.) 770 770 770 Copperpowder rate (lb./mm.) 100 50 50 Molten zinc rate (lb./min.) 5 5 10 Percentage by Wt., coating (percent) 5 10 20 4 Example III Copper powder was encapsulated with tin in three separate runs, using nitrogen as the carrier gas. The reaction conditions are summarized in the following table:

Nickel powder was coated with aluminum in three separate runs, using air as the carrier gas. The reaction conditions are summarized below in the following table:

ENCAPSULATION 0F NICKEL POWDER WITH ALUMINUM Example Conditions 4-A 4-B 4-0 Gas temperature I.) 1250 1250 1250 Temp. molten aluminum C 1230 1230 1230 Cyclone gas temp. F.) 1170 1170 1170 Nickel powder rate, (lb/min.) 50 50 Molten aluminum rate (lb/min.) 5 5 10 Percentage by wt,y coating (percent) 5 10 20 'Each of the encapsulated metal powders described in the foregoing examples was particularly suitable for use inpowder metallurgical techniques Where the corresponding uncoated metal powder has previously been used.

We claim:

1. A process for the production of encapsulated powders, by which a solid powder having a melting point T1 is encapsulated with a coating of a normally solid coating material having a melting point T2 where T2 is less than T1, which process comprises (a) uidizing the solid powder in a stream of a carrier gas to form a u'idized bed of the solid powder in the carrier gas, (b) liquifying the coating material by heating it to a temperature greater than T2 and then introducing a predetermined amount of the liquied coating material in the uidized bed under turbulent mixing conditions so that the liquied coating material forms an aerosol in situ within the carrier gas and thereby encapsulates substantially all of the solid powder with a predetermined amount of the liquied coating material, (c) passing the resultant fluidized bed through a cooling zone to cool the encapsulated powder to a temperature below T2, thereby substantially silidiying the encapsulating coating material, and (d) recovering the resultant encapsulated powder.

2. A process according to claim 1 in which tin is the normally solid coating material.

3. A process according to claim 1 in which zinc is the normally solid coating material.

4. A process according to claim 1 in which aluminum is the normally solid coating material.

S. A process according to claim 1 in which magensium is the normally solid coating material.

6. A process for the production of encapsulated powders, by which a solid metallic powder having a melting point T1 is encapsulated within a coating of a normally solid coating material selected from the group consisting of metallic and non-metallic coating materials having `a melting point T2, where T2 is less than T1, which process comprises (a) fluidizing the solid metallic powder in a stream of a carrier gas to form a uidized bed of the solid metallic powder in the carrier gas, (b) liquidifying the coating material by heating it to a temperature greater than T2 and then introducing a predetermined amount of the liquied coating material in the uidized bed under turbulent mixing conditions so that the liquied coating material forms an aerosol in situ within the carrier gas and thereby encapsulates substantially all of the solid metallic powder with a predetermined amount of the liquied coating material, (c) passing the resultant uidized bed through a cooling zone to cool the encapsulated powder to a temperature below T2, thereby substantially solidifying the encapsulating coating material, and (d) recovering the resulant encapsulated powder.

7. A process in accordance with claim 6 in which aluminum powder is the solid metallic powder.

8. A process in accordance with claim 6 in which copper powder is the solid metallic powder.

9. A process in accordance with claim 6 in which iron powder is the solid metallic powder.

10. A process in accordance with claim 6 in which nickel powder is the solid metallic powder.

11. A process according to claim 6 in which wax is the normally solid coating material.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,710,747 4/ 1929 Smith.

2,042,635 6/ 1936 Schellens 29-192 X 2,294,895 9/1942 Drapeau et al. 29-192 X 2,422,439 6/ 1942 Schwarzkopf 29-192 X 2,706,163 6/1953 Fitco 117-100 X 2,993,469 7/ 1961 Tarpley et al 117-100 X 3,110,626 11/1963 Larson et al 117-100 X 3,247,014 4/ 1966 Goldberger et a1. 117-100 15 WILLIAM D. MARTIN, Primary Examiner.

M. R. P. PERRONE, IR., Assistant Examiner.

U.S. Cl. X.R. 

